“Do you understand that?”
I gave him a thin, knowing smile.
“I understand how the mafia works, Renzo.”
“I thought you wanted me dead.”
I tilted my head slightly
“So why warn me about the risks of sitting in on a meeting like that?”
My smile sharpened. “Well... this is your perfect opportunity.”
“Think about it. If something goes wrong... if a war breaks out in that room...” I held his gaze. “I’d be the first to die.”
A beat.
“Problem solved, isn’t it?”
His jaw tightened.
“No more resentment. No more bitterness over Vincenzo choosing me over your carefully planned wedding... over your precious Violet.”
My eyes didn’t leave his.
“She gets her man back.”
That landed.
His jaw worked.
Muscles tightening.
For a long second—I thought he might agree.
Not out of logic. But out of spite.
He stared at me.
Then—he exhaled sharply through his nose.
“I’ll have to clear it with the boss.”
His tone shifted back to control.
“Don’t tell Vincenzo.”
Renzo’s eyes narrowed.
“I don’t need his permission to prove I’m capable.”
Renzo’s expression shifted into something sharp and almost amused.
“You think he’ll let his fragile little paper wife tag along to a potential bloodbath?”
The words were meant to provoke.
To make me react.
